Gas absorption



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Filed Aug 5, 1961 ATTORNEY Dec. 21, 1965 w. E. HOTCHKISS GAS ABSORPTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1961 INVENTOR. WILLlAM E. HOTCHKISS Maw ATTORNEY Dec. 21, 1965 w. E. HOTCHKISS GAS ABSORPTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 5, 1961 INVENTOR.

WILUAM E. HOTCH KISS BY WJW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,224,745 GAS ABSURPTION William E. Hotchlriss, Wichita, Kans. (3528 Keswick Drive, Chamblee, Ga.) Filed Aug. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 129,140 23 Claims. (Cl. lei-) The present invention is a continuation-in-part of my patent application, filed Sept. 8, 1959, bearing Serial No. 838,540, now Patent No. 3,109,873, entitled Gas Absorption Apparatus, and constitutes an improvement thereon and is directed generally to the same objectives.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for contacting a gas and a liquid, and more particularly pertains to improvements in such apparatus wherein a piston is reciprocated in a cylinder and separates first and second chambers therein with the piston being moved in one direction by fluid pressures acting on the piston during which movement a liquid in the first chamber passes jointly with a gas through a common orifice into the second chamber.

An object of this invention is to provide a gas-liquid contact apparatus especially suited to the carbonation of water that is operable with respect to a water supply essentially under only atmospheric pressure and in which carbonating pressure is subsequently applied to the water solely by the pressure of the carbonating gas.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus of the specified character that cyclically carbonates a metered quantity of water (which quantity can be adjusted), with each cycle being individually initiated by .a positive demand for a unit of carbonated water, with the carbonation of such demand unit being accomplished thereafter.

Another object of the invention in accordance with the above objects i to provide apparatus that can be of such small size that it along with gas and liquid supplies can be disposed within and occupy a minor fraction of the volume of conventional home or domestic size home refrigerators, whereby the entire apparatus and its asso-' ciated supplies are subjected to temperatures comparable to those provided for milk storage in such refrigerators.

An important object of the invention is to provide apparatus according to the above objects in which the water and gas are initially injected through a common orifice into a carbonating chamber to afford an initial intimate gas-liquid contact in which the liquid phase is dispersed, whereby carbonation is expedited.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus according to the above objects in which a reservoir of the output of the carbonator is provided and in which demand for carbonation cycle initiation occurs automatically in relation to the amount of carbonated water in the reservoir.

Broadly, the invention involves for use in gas-liquid contact apparatus, a piston and piston rod construction comprising a piston having an opening therethrough, a piston rod, means securing the piston rod to the piston to extend from one side of the piston for limited axial movement relative thereto, said piston rod being hollow with the end remote to the piston being closed and the end adjacent the piston being open and communicating with the opening through the piston, means biasing the open end of the piston rod into valving engagement with the piston around the opening in the piston, and valve controlled means for introducing a gas into the hollow piston rod at a position remote from the piston.

Another aspect of the invention defined in the preceding paragraph involves the piston including a hollow sleeve that circumscribes the opening in the piston and which extends into the hollow piston rod in spaced relation thereto, passageway means affording communication between the exterior and the interior of the sleeve at a position remote from the piston, and means connected to the valve controlled gas introducing means for directing introduced gas into the sleeve toward the piston.

A more comprehensive aspect of the invention involves, in a gas-liquid contacting apparatus, a closed cylinder, a piston operable in the cylinder and separating first and second chambers at opposite ends of the cylinder, valve controlled means for introducing a liquid into said first chamber, said piston having a passageway therethrough affording fluid communication between said chambers, normally closed valve means associated with said passageway for controlling communication therethrough between said chambers, pressure responsive actuating means for opening said valve means, valve controlled means for introducing a gas into said passageway at a position intermediate said valve means and said second chamber, valve controlled means for discharging said second chamber, and a piston rod carried by the piston that extends through said first chamber end of the cylinder, whereby initial gas and liquid contact occurs in said passageway.

When water is to be supplied at very low pressure, the invention defined in the preceding paragraph also preferably involves the provision of means for urging movement of the piston from a position adjacent the first chamber end of cylinder toward the second chamber end of the cylinder with a force at least equal to the total of all frictional resistance opposing such movement.

The invention will be best understood upon reference to the forthcoming description of preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a carbonator of the invention, the same being shown with the adjustable stop that determines the metered quantity being removed;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, mostly in central vertical section of a modified form of piston and piston rod assembly for use in lieu of corresponding parts in the carbonator shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 of yet another form of piston and piston rod assembly;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the vent valve shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the adjustable stop on the bracket;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken upon the plane of section line 66 in FIGURE 5; and,

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of an automatic carbonator disposed within a reservoir vessel (in section), with. an alternative position of the liquid level control apparatus being shown in dashed lines.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the various views, attention is first directed to FIGURE 1.

The numeral 10 designates the carbonator generally, the same being comprised of a hollow cylinder 12 having a head wall 14 fixed fluid-tight to a flanged upper end of the cylinder 12 by screws 16 and 18. Screw 18 also serves to secure an upstanding guide bracket 20 to the wall 14 for a purpose to presently appear. The cylinder 12 is closed at its bottom end by an integral wall 22. The cylinder 12, walls 14 and 22, as well as all metallic parts of the carbonator 10 that contact fluids handled thereby are preferably formed of stainless steel.

A piston and piston rod assembly is provided that is comprised of a piston 24 (preferably formed of neoprenean elastomer based on polymers of chloroprene, or of an elastomer based on tetrafiuroethylene resin such as sold under the trademark Teflon) that includes a pair of opposed lip seals 26 and 28. For reasons to be explained subsequently, it is important in certain uses of the carbonator that not only an effective seal is obtained between the piston 24 and the cylinder 12, but that the frictional drag between such elements be maintained at a low value. Lip-type seals are especially well suited to this purpose, and the lip-type seals 26 and 28 are preferred, though conventional integral lip seals having oppositely extending lips (not shown) can be used. It is preferred that the lip seals 26 and 28 be of slightly flexible character as is conventional, with neoprene (elastomer based on polymers of chloroprene) and an elastomer based on a tetrafluoroethylene resin (marketed under the trademark Teflon) being especially preferred for their mechanical and durability properties, as well as for their chemical inertness. These materials afford excellent sealing and friction reducing properties.

The piston 24 is provided with a central opening 30 therethrough having a shape to define an annular shoulder 32. A hollow piston rod 34 of stainless steel is provided, the lower end of which is formed with a depending annular valving element 36 of V-shape in section that seats against the shoulder 32, the substance of the piston 24 being somewhat plastic insuring a good seal. The lower end of the piston rod 34 is flanged at 38 and a coiled compression spring 40 embraces the piston rod 34 and is seated between the flange 38 and an annular and perforated retainer ring 42 of stainless steel is secured to the piston 24 by stainless steel screws 43 thereby to bias the piston rod 34 into valving engagement with the piston 24 along a narrow band or line of contact. Sufficient clearance exists laterally between the flange 38 and the piston 24, and between the ring 42 and the piston rod 34 to allow the flow of fluids between such parts. Such flow is facilitated by the ring 42 being perforated.

The piston rod 34 extends through the cylinder wall 14, with sealing means being provided comprised of an annular lip seal 44 that is sealingly retained between the wall 14 and a seal retaining ring 45 fixed to the wall 14 by screws 46. As in the case of the seals 26 and 28, it is important that the seal 44 make an effective seal with the piston rod 34 with a minimum of friction. As shown, the seal 44 has oppositely extending lips that only lightly contact the piston rod 34 in the absence of external pressure, with the opposed lips being formed as a consequence of the inner surface of the seal 44 being concaved along its axial extent. The seal 44 is also preferably composed of materials such as indicated preferable previously in connection with seals 26 and 28.

As thus far described, it will be seen that the piston 24 divides the interior of the cylinder into a first chamber 48 and a second or carbonating chamber 50, with the volume of such chambers varying in accordance with the position of the piston 24. Bearing in mind that the outer end of the piston rod 34 is closed, and assuming that the outer end of the piston rod 34 acts solely against an ambient pressure less than that existing in chamber 50, it will be immediately apparent that the pressure within the chamber 48 will exceed that prevailing within chamber 50. This situation occurs by reason of the pressure within the chamber 50 acting upon the entire area of the piston 24 with a total force (assuming no friction as well as weightless parts and fluids) that must be balanced by the pressure of chamber 48 acting on a fraction of the area of the piston 24 plus the ambient pressure acting on the remaining fraction of the area of the piston 24 (cross-sectional area of the piston rod 34). Since the ambient pressure is less than the pressure of chamber 50, the pressure in chamber 48 must therefore exceed the pressure in chamber 50. The structure thus far described may be considered as means for producing a pressure differential between the chambers 48 and 50 favoring the former, that is, a pressure in chamber 48 that exceeds the pressure in the chamber 50. It will also be appreciated that the 4 pressures prevailing in the chambers 48 and 50 act upon portions of the effective area of the piston rod 34 to force the piston rod 34 out of the cylinder 12 and away from the piston 24 against the bias of the spring upon the pressure in the chamber exceeding ambient pressure by a predetermined amount. Such action is of course facilitated by the limited area of valving engagement of the piston rod 34 and the piston 24.

The piston 24 includes an orifice defining member 52 threaded in the opening 30, as shown, such member including an upstanding tubular or sleeve-like extension 54 that projects upward into the hollow piston rod 34 in spaced relation thereto. An orifice 56 in the member 52 hasa configuration such as to merge with the internal diameter of the sleeve 54 and to taper downwardly to a restricted outlet from the piston 24 that is conducive to emitting a spray of liquid in admixture with a gas passing downwardly therethrough. The upper end of the sleeve or extension 54 is of reduced internal diameter with a flared inlet as indicated at 58.

Means is provided for introducing a gas into the upper end of the hollow piston rod 34 which comprises a hollow valve body 60 having communication with a flexible lateral gas supply conduit 62 through which gas from a pressurized supply thereof, not shown, is admitted to the valve body 60. The bottom end of the valve body 60 is closed by a fitting 64 having a threaded upward extension 66 threaded into the valve body 60 and terminating in a sharp edged annular valve seat 68. The fitting 64 also includes a downward extension 70 threaded in the upper end of the hollow piston rod 34. The fitting 64 has a central passageway 72 therethrough, with a depending tubular extension 74 disposed below the threaded extension 70 defining a continuation of such passageway 72. The tubular extension 74 extends into the hollow interior of the hollow piston rod 34 and into the upper end portion of the sleeve 54 in spaced relation thereto. The lower extremity of the tubular extension 74 is disposed adjacent the internally reduced portion 58 of the sleeve 54, whereby a gas stream emerging from the tubular extension 74 tends to induct and disperse a liquid descending in the annular space between the tubular extension 74 and the sleeve 54.

A valving element 76 is disposed in the valve body 60 for cooperation with the valve seat 68, such element 76 being carried by an actuating rod 78 that extends upwardly from the valve body 60 through a packing gland 80 threaded on the top of the valve body 60. The upper end of the rod 78 is bifurcated and fitted with a cross pin, as shown at 81, to accommodate a valve actuating lever 82 for valve actuation in a manner to be explained later. The lever 82 has a leaf spring 83 fixed thereto that engages the rod 78 within the bifurcation of the latter and below the pin 81 to allow a limited degree of freedom of motion of the lever 82 for a hereinafter explained purpose.

Means is provided for venting the upper end of the hollow piston rod 34, which includes a valve construction comprising a hollow valve body 84 of stainless steel (see FIGURE 4), the lower end of which is provided with a hollow fitting 86 of stainless steel having an upper extension 88 threaded into the valve body 84 and which terminates in a sharp edged valve seat 90. The fitting 86 is provided with a passageway 92 communicating with the passageway 72, and a rigid conduit 94 of stainless steel is connected between the fittings 64 and 86 affording fluidtight communication between the passageway 92 and the interior of the fitting 86.

The valve body 84 is provided with a lateral outlet to which is fitted a vent pipe 98 that can be extended to vent at any suitable location. A valving element 180 is disposed in the valve body 84 for cooperating with the valve seat 94 such element 100 being connected to a stainless steel actuating rod 102 that extends upwardly from the valve body 84 through a packing gland 104 threaded upon the top of the valve body 84. A coiled compression spring 106 embraces the rod 182 and operates between an internal shoulder 108 in the valve body 84 to bias the valving element 100 into engagement with the valve seat 90. As shown in the drawings the valving elements 76 and 100 can include inserts of material such as the seals 26 and 28 and constituted so as to insure effective sealing action. The strength of the spring 106 is suflicient to retain such engagement against peak pressures prevailing in the hollow piston rod 34 during normal operation of the carbonator 10. Unusual or dangerous pressures within the carbonator will serve to open the valving element 100 and relieve such excessive pressures. The upper end of the rod 102 is threaded and a nut 110 is adjustably threaded thereon. If deemed necessary or expedient, the nut 110 can be provided with a set screw (not shown) to secure the same in adjusted position.

The actuating lever 82 is pivoted intermediate its ends at 112 on a standard 114 mounted on the valve body 60. One end of the lever 82 is bifurcated to receive the rod 102 below the nut 110, and the other end of the lever 82 projects through a vertical guide slot 116 having upper and lower ends 118 and 120 in the bracket 28.

Means is provided for introducing a liquid into the stainless steel conduit 122 having threaded connection through the wall 14 at 124. The conduit is provided with a check valve 126 that will allow water to pass freely from the conduit 122 to the chamber, but which will prevent reverse flow.

Means is provided for discharging fluids from the lower portion of the chamber 50, such means comprising a hollow valve body 134 of stainless steel threaded through the bottom wall 22 of the cylinder 12, as shown. The outer end of the valve body 134 is closed by a cap 136, the central portion of the cap 136 being spaced from the lower end of the valve body 134. A valve rod 138 extends through the valve body 134, with its lower end being disposed in the space between the cap 136 and the valve body 134, and having a nut 140 adjustably threaded and secured thereon for limiting axial movement of the valve rod 138. The upper end of the valve rod 138 is provided with an integral valving element 148 that cooperates with an O-ring constituting a valve seat 150 recessed in the upper end of the valve body 134. The O-ring 150 is preferably press-fitted into the valve body 134 and composed of a material such as previously indicated suitable for the lip seals 26 and 28. A coiled compression spring 152 embraces the valve rod 138 and is biased between the valving element 148 and an internal shoulder 154 of the valve body 134 so as to open or raise the valving element 148 from its seat 158, A dispensing spout 156 is secured to the valve body 134 and has communication with the interior of the valve body 134 by way of a lateral passageway 158 in the valve body 134. Although the valving element 148 is normally biased open by the spring 152, the same is pressure sensitive in the sense that when the same is closed it will remain closed as long as the pressure in the chamber 58 exceeds the pressure ambient to the valve body 134 by an amount predetermined by the strength of the spring 152. It should be noted that the valving element 148 will be moved from the open to the closed position upon engagement of the piston 24 with the valving element 148 as will occur during movement of the piston 24 to the lower end of the cylinder 12.

Inasmuch as it is highly desirable and in some circumstances virtually essential that the carbonator 10 can operate with water being supplied thereto only under substantially atmospheric pressure, the combined weight of the piston 24, a hollow piston rod 34 and all the structure described as being attached thereto should be at least sufficiently great that when the carbonator is arranged 'vertically, as shown, and with the chambers 48 and 50 being continuously air filled at atmospheric pressure that the piston 24 will gravitate from the top of the cylinder 6 12 thereof despite frictional retardation effects from a stationary start.

Operation of the carbonator shown in FIGURE 1 In the use of the carbonator 10, the conduit 62 is connected to a conventional source of high-pressure carbon dioxide by way of a pressure reduction valve, not shown, and the conduit 122 is connected to a source of water, not shown, which need not be under any pressure greater than that required for the water to reach the check valve 126. As a starting point let it be assumed that the piston 24 has been raised manually to the upper end of the cylinder 12, that the chamber 50 is air filled and that the valving element 148 is open, and that in such position the lever 82 engages the upper end 118 of the slot 116 in the bracket 21 to close the valving element 76 and to open the valving element 180. It should be noted at this point that the pressure within the conduit 62 will retain the valving element 76 closed until such time as the right end of the lever 82 as viewed in FIGURE 1 is forcibly raised. The piston 24, the hollow piston [rod 34 and the elements connected to such parts are then released and allowed to gravitate downwardly, whereupon water will freely pass into the chamber 48 from the conduit 122. The initial portion of the travel of the piston 24 is accompanied by a slight counterclockwise movement of the lever 82 occasioned by the spring 106 closing the valving element of the vent conduit 98 and eventually by disengagement of the lever 82 and the bracket 20. The piston 24 continues to gravitate toward the bottom of the cylinder 12 progressively being assited to a greater extent in this movement by the weight of the water in the chamber 48 increasing, until the piston 24 engages the valving element 148 and closes the latter against the action of the spring 152. Except as hereinafter explained, the apparatus will now become motionless and in what may be termed the stand-by condition. Preferably the entire carbonator 18 as well as the sources of carbon dioxide and water are disposed in a cooled or refrigerated environment, the colder the better so long as the fluids are not subject to freezing.

The stand-by condition constitutes a state of cyclic readiness to dispense a single metered unit (typically a volume of carbonated water suitable for one glass or serving of a carbonated beverage). The carbonated water can then be mixed with ice, flavoring syrup or the like. If desired, the water introduced by conduit can include flavoring syrup. The metering, carbonating and dispensing cycle comprises the following operations which are set in motion or triggered from the stand-by condition by manually raising the right hand extremity of the valve actuating arm 82, such manual operation acting forcibly to open valving element 76 against gas pressure in the conduit 62, while leaving the valving element 100 unaffected and closed by virtue of the lost motion afforded in the connection of the arm 82 to the actuating rod 102 by virtue of the spacing of the nut from the packing gland 104. Opening of the valving element 76 admits a stream of carbon dioxide gas into the sleeve 54 through the tubular member 74, and the pressure of such incom ing carbon dioxide gas is communicated to the chamber 50 through the orifice 56. Such gas flow will continue until such time as the pressure within the chamber 58 and the pressure induced in the chamber 48 is sufficient to raise the hollow piston rod 34 from its valving engagement with the piston 24, whereupon water in the chamber 48 enters the upper end of the sleeve 54 through the annular space between the sleeve 54 and the hollow piston rod 34, such flow of water occurring by the hereinbefore described function of the apparatus to produce a pressure differential in the chambers 48- and 50 favoring the former. It will be noted that while the weight of the piston 24 and the parts connected thereto tend to reduce such pressure differential, the diameter of the hollow piston rod 34 is sufliciently great with respect to the diameter of the piston 24 to preserve such pressure differential favoring the chamber 48.

Water entering the top of the sleeve 54 is dispersed by the stream of carbon dioxide from the tubular member 74 and the gas and the liquid are intimately contacted during movement downwardly through the sleeve 54 and are sprayed from the orifice 56 into the chamber 50. Such flow of water from the chamber 48 to the chamber 50 is accompanied by upward movement of the piston 24, it being noted that the valving element 148 is maintained closed by the pressure in the chamber 50, there being no possibility of the valving element 148 being opened during this phase of the operation of the apparatus because less pressure in the chamber 50 is required to keep the valve element 148 closed than is required to unseat the hollow piston rod 34 from the piston 24, because of the relative strengths of the springs 40 and 152.

Upward movement of the piston 24 will continue until the lever 82 engages the upper end 118 of the slot 116 in the bracket 20 and then been moved sufiiciently further to close the valving element 76 through the action of the leaf spring 83 bearing on the rod 78. Still further upward movement of the piston 24 will occur because of the substantial pressure of the gaseous phase remaining in the chamber 50, with such further upward movement causing the lever 82 to be still further rocket clockwise to a position opening the Valving element 180. It will be noted that closure of valving element 76 precedes opening of the valving element 100, and that the leaf spring permits the additional rocking movement of the lever 82 necessary to open valving element 100. Opening the valving element 100 vents the pressure within the upper part of the hollow piston rod 34 and hence also the pressure prevailing within the chamber 50. Venting of the pressure in the chamber 50, which now contains water previously in the chamber 48 and carbon dioxide largely absorbed thereby, results in the spring 1152 opening the valving element 148 and the discharge of the contents of the chamber 50 through the dispensing spout 156. In connection with the foregoing, the strength of the spring 40 is such that the piston 24 and the hollow piston rod 34 will not be disengaged by the pressures prevailing in the vessel 12 until sufficient upward movement of the piston 24 has occurred for the valving element 108 to be opened and the pressure in the cylinder 12 to be reduced by resulting venting of pressure.

During the discharge of the contents of the chamber 50, the piston 24 travels downwardly so that water enters the chamber 48 from the conduit 122. ward movement of the piston 24 is accompanied by disengagement of the lever 82 with the bracket 20 and consequent closure of the valving element 100. Downward movement of the piston 24 continues with the chamber 50 being discharged and the chamber 48 being filled with water until the piston 24 closes the valving element 148.

The carbonator 10 has now dispensed a metered quantity of carbonated water and is again in stand-by condition, namely, the piston 24 is at the bottom of the cylinder 12, the chamber 48 is filled with water, the valving elements 76, 100 and 148 are closed. From such standby condition the carbonator 10 will be initiated upon and complete another carbonating cycle to dispense a metered quantity of carbonated water upon upward .manual actuation of the right hand end of the lever 82. In summary, such cycle comprises the sequence:

(1) The valving element 76 is manually opened.

(2) Check valve 126 closes.

(3) Piston 24 and piston rod 34 move out of valving engagement.

(4) Piston 24 moves upward.

(5) Valving element 76 is closed, and remains closed until manually reopened.

(6) Valving element 180 is opened.

(7) Valving element 148 opens.

Initial down- (8) Piston rod 34 moves into valving engagement with piston 24.

(9) Valving element 148 opens, piston 24 starts downward movement and check valve 126 opens.

(10) Valving element 188 closes.

(11) Piston 24 closes valving element 148, and ceases downward movement, with carbonator 10 being restored to standby status.

It will be appreciated that the above-described operation of the carbonator 10 does not require in its operation any pressure energy of the water supplied thereto, a matter of substantial importance in that a pressure pump is not required though of course the water can if desired be connected to water main pressure through a pressure regulator or isolation device, not shown, if necessary. This capability is of special importance where govern ment regulations require isolation of units from public water supplies in the interest of public health.

Though the carbonator 10 has been described as requiring manual actuation of the lever 82 to open the valving element 7 6 0t individually initiate each dispensing cycle; however, this mode of operation is dependent on the position of the bottom of the slot 116 in the bracket 20, it having been tacitly assumed in the preceding discussion that the bottom 128 of the slot is sufficiently low to avoid such coaction with the lever 82 on downward movement of the piston 24 that would open the valving element 76. If desired, the vertical position of the bottom 120 of the slot 116 can obviously be such that the lever 82 will coact therewith during downward movement of the piston 24 to open the valving element 76 in substantial coincidence with the piston 24 closing the valving element 148, in which case the carbonator 18 will repetitively perform dispensing cycles automatically.

In further connection with the above described operation of the carbonator 10, it should be especially noted that water sprayed from the changer 48 into chamber 58 is intimately contacted with carbon dioxide in the chamber 50, but in addition that, prior to entry into the chamber 50, the water has been subjected to intimate contact with carbon dioxide gas in the hollow piston rod 34, wherein the energy of the incoming stream of carbon dioxide facilitates dispersion of the water. This along with refrigerating the carbonator 18 and the supplies of fluids therefor results in high carbonating etficiency and dispensing cycles that are short in duration. It has been found that a carbonator 10 sized to meter six-ounce units of highly carbonated water can easily perform fifteen dispensing cycles per minute.

Alternative piston and piston rod structure FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate modified piston and piston rod structure. Referring first to FIGURE 2, parts thereof identical to those of FIGURE 1 have the same reference numerals wherefrom it will be seen that the modification resides solely in the employment of a different orifice defining member and sleeve construction and the connection of the latter to the tubular member 74 through which carbon dioxide is introduced. In this modified construction an orifice defining member is threaded in the piston 24, as shown, with such member 170 including an integral upstanding tubular extension 172 disposed in the hollow piston rod 34 in spaced relation thereto to define an annular space 174 therebetween. The member 178 and its extension 172 have a central passageway 176 therethrough, which is cylindrical in its upper extent and which is convergent at its lower end to define a restricted discharge nozzle or orifice 177. The depending end portion of the tubular member 74 is received within the upper end portion of the passageway 176 with a sliding fit. Below and adjacent the lower end of the tubular member 74, the tubular extension 172 is provided with a plurality of lateral openings 178 affording communication between the passageway 176 and the annular space 174. Where the thickness of the wall of 9 the tubular extension 172 permits, the openings 178 can be inclined, preferably in the direction shown. The operation of the carbonator 18 when employing the modified structure shown in FIGURE 2 will difler only in the initial contact of the water and carbon dioxide gas, as will be evident. The water enters the openings 178 and is directed in the form of a plurality of tiny streams or sprays laterally into the stream of incoming carbon dioxide gas, whereupon the water is further dispersed for intimate liquid and gas contact.

The further modification shown in FIGURE 3 comprises an orifice defining member 180 threaded into the piston 24, such member 180 having a venturi-shaped passageway 182 therethrough having intermediate its ex tent a restricted diameter at 184. The upper end of the member 180 has a tapered upper end 186 disposed adjacent and within the V-shaped portion 36 of the hollow piston rod 34. A conduit 188 is disposed in spaced relation within the hollow piston rod 34 to define an annular space 192 and the conduit 188 has a passageway 194 therethrough which is connected to the tubular mefriber 74 by the latter being press fitted therein for receiving carbon dioxide. The lower end of the conduit 188 is tapered externally at 196 to be generally complementary to the shape of the upper part of the venture-shaped nozzle passageway 182 into which it exetnds, preferably being spaced therefrom by a distance less than the minimum diameter 184 of the passageway 182 when the piston 24 and the hollow piston rod 34 are in valving engagement.

The operation of the carbonator when employing the structure hown in FIGURE 3 is exactly as hereinbefore described except as to the manner in which the initial contact of water with carbon dioxide is initially effected. With the structure shown in FIGURE 3, water will, upon valving disengagement of the piston 24 and the hollow piston rod 34, flow under the portion 36 of the hollow piston rod 34 and thence up over the upper periphery 186 of the member 180 to the space between the tapered portion 196 of the conduit 188 and the upper part of the passage 182 into the vicinity of the restricted diameter 184 of the passageway 182, whereupon the same is subjected to the stream of gas emerging from the conduit 188 which may be termed a nozzle. The contact of the water and the carbon dioxide within the venture-shaped passageway 182 is such as to finely disperse the water and eifect an intimate gas-liquid contact. The annular space 192 constitutes a fluid reservoir facilitating or contributing to stabilization of the rate of flow of water into the passageway 182.

Metering adjustability In connection with the description of the carbonating cycle of the carbonator previously given, it will be plain that the volume of carbonated water dispensed during each cycle is dependent upon the volume of water displaced from the chamber 48 into the chamber 50 upon reciprocation of the piston 24. This displacement depends upon the transverse area dimensions of the piston 24 and the piston rod 34 in connection with the travel of the piston 24. As thus far described, the upward translation of the piston 24 is limited by the wall 14, and the position of the upper end 118 of the slot .116 in the bracket is such that the piston 24 stops its upward movement at or in close proximity to the wall 14, it being recalled that the coaction of the lever 82 with the upper end 118 of the slot 116 in the bracket 20 is such as to actuate the valving elements 76 and 100 to stop upward movement of the piston 24 and to initiate discharge of the contents of the chamber 50.

Attention is now directed to FIGURES 5 and 6 wherepair of rabbeted plates 202 and 204 disposed on opposite sides of the bracket 20 and partially extending towards each other in the slot 116 with a sliding fit in the latter. The plate 202 is provided with an internally threaded opening in which a bolt 206 is threaded, the latter extending freely through an aligned opening in the plate 204 and preferably including a wing-type head for finger operation. The arrangement is such that the stop can be positioned vertically in the slot 116 as desired when the bolt 206 is loose, and then frictionally clamped or locked in a selected position upon tightening the bolt 286.

When the stop 200 is used in conjunction with the bracket 20, the stop 200 is positioned above lever 82, and the latter coacts with the stop 200 in the same manner as hereinbefore described in connection with the upper end 118 of the slot 116, with the result that the position of the upward travel of the piston 24 can be adjustably predetermined by positioning the stop 200. In this manner the quantity of carbonated water metered and dispensed during each cycle can be controlled. The position of the stop 2% can be changed at any time that the carbonator is in standby condition, and indicia (not shown) can be placed on the bracket 20 for reference to the stop 288 to indicate calibration of the quantity of fluid metered.

Carbonator with product storage means Attention is now directed to the form of the invention disclosed in FIGURE 7, wherein numerals designating previously described apparatus are used to designate like parts. In the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 7, the carbonator 10 is provided with a closed vessel or reservoir for receiving and storing the product of the carbonator 10 with the provision of means for initiating a carbonating cycle upon either the occurrence of the liquid level in the reservoir being below a predetermined level upon the completion of a carbonating cycle or upon the liquid level falling below said predetermined level at any time after the completion of a carbonating cycle. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, a closed storage vessel or reservoir 218 is provided which is comprised of a bottom wall 212, sidewalls 214 and a top 216. The carbonator 10 is mounted within the vessel 210 with the valve body 134 and the cap 136 extending through an opening 218 in the bottom 212 of the vessel 210. The valve body 134 and the cap 136 are screwed tight, and a sealing ring 220 is interposed between the valve body 134 and the wall 212. It will be noted that the passageway 158 of the valve body 134 communicates with the interior of the vessel 210, and that the dispensing spout 156 is removed. A vertical rod 222 is disposed in the vessel 210 and has its lower end fixed to the bottom wall 212. Slidable upon the rod 222 is a sleeve 224 on which is mounted a float 226. Pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin 230 carried between a pair of upstanding ears of a bracket 232 suitably mounted upon the top wall 14 of the carbonator 10 is a clam lever 234. The cam lever 234 is provided with an elongated slot 236 through which is slideably received a pin 238 fixed to the sleeve 224, the arrangement being such that vertical reciprocation of the sleeve 224 on the rod 222 as occasioned by action of the float 226 will oscillate the cam lever 224, an alternate position assumed by the float 226, sleeve 224, and the lever 234 being shown in dashed outline.

One end of the cam lever 234 is disposed adjacent the bracket 20 for coaction with the lever 82 and is formed as a cam having a flat 240 that is contiguous to and merges with a cam lobe 242. In the solid line illustration of the cam lever 234, the lobe 242 is disposed in the slot 116 and in the travel path of the lever 82 and the top of the lobe 242 has a height just sufliciently high that the lever 82 on downwardly engagement therewith will act to open the valving element 76 substantially concurrently with the piston 24 closing the valving element 148. Consequently, in the full line structure position 'shown, the cyclic operation of the carbonator 10 will be automatically repetitive by virtue of the engagement of the lever 82 with the cam lobe 242 at the completion of each cycle of operation. However, when the cam lever 234 occupies the dashed line position shown thereof, the cam lobe 242 is swung out of the travel path of the lever 82 and the fiat 240 is positioned in the slot 116 below the lever 82 with the consequence that the lever 82 is not actuated upon completion of a cycle to open the valving element 76, and operation will stop in the stand-by status. In this form of the invention the slot 116 extends downwardly to a suflicient extent to accommodate the cam lever 234 with the top of the flat 240 in the dashed line position being at a height corresponding to the previously described bottom end 120 of the slot 116. This will be the case whenever a cycle is completed upon the liquid level in the vessel 210 being above a level suflicient to move the cam lobe 242 out of the travel path of the lever 82. In the event the carbonator 10 becomes inactive in the stand-by status and the liquid level in vessel 210 subsequently falls sufliciently, the weight of the float 226 and the sleeve 224 will act on the cam lever 234 through the pin 238 with the consequence that the lever 82 will be cammed upwardly by the cam lobe 242 to open the valving element '76 and thereby initiate a carbonating cycle.

The vessel 210 is provided adjacent its bottom with a manual valved outlet 250. Means is also provided for venting excess pressure from the vessel which comprises a standpipe 252 having its open upper end near the top of the vessel 210, and which sealingly extends through the bottom wall to communicate with a conventional pressure relief or regulator valve 254.

The apparatus of FIGURE 7 will require a source of water pressure approximately equal to or greater than the normal operating pressure within the vessel or reservoir 210. The water inlet conduit 122 is connected by a suitable fitting 256 through the wall 214 of the vessel 210 to an external water pipe 258. The pipe 258 is for communication with a suitable pressurized source of water, not shown, and a check valve 259 is interposed in the water pipe 258 that corresponds to the previously described valve 126. The flexible carbon dioxide conduit 62 is connected with sufficient slack to a pipe 260 that is in turn connected to a fitting 261 through the wall 214. A pipe 262 connects from the fitting 261 to a suitable source 263 of carbon dioxide through a pressure regulator 264.

In all the illustrated embodiments of the invention, it is essential that components thereof in contact with the fluids handled thereby be substantially inert thereto, and not impart any objectionable flavor or odor thereto. is especially preferred that the metallic parts be of stainless steel, and that the flexible conduit 62 be neoprene (at least in the FIGURE 7 embodiment of the invention).

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the illustrated and described embodiments of the invention are subject to many variations in detail without departing from the invention principles involved, the illustrations and descriptions being given in such detail only for the purpose of conveying a full and complete understanding thereof. The actual scope of the invention should be ascertained only upon reference to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use in gas-liquid contact apparatus of the reciprocating piston type, a piston and piston rod construction comprising, a piston having spaces on the opposite sides thereof and having an opening therethrough, a piston rod extending from one side of and axially movable relative to said piston, said piston rod having an end adjacent the piston and an end remote from the piston, means connecting said adjacent end of the piston rod to the piston including means operative to limit axial movement of the piston rod from the piston, said piston rod being hollow with the remote end thereof being closed and the adjacent end thereof being open and communicating with the opening through the piston, said connecting means including spring means biasing axial movement of the piston rod toward the piston and the adjacent end thereof into abutting annular valving engagement with the piston at a valving position surrounding the opening through the piston, whereby all external communication with the hollow interior of the piston rod except through the opening through the piston is closed when the piston rod is in said valving engagement with the piston, and valve controlled means for introducing a gas into the hollow piston rod from the exterior thereof at a position adjacent the remote end of the piston rod, whereby a gas can be passed through the hollow piston rod and the opening through the piston to the space on the side of the piston opposite the piston rod, and whereby communication between the spaces on opposite sides of the piston through the opening through the piston is obtained upon and solely upon the piston rod being unseated from said valving engagement with the piston.

2. The combination of claim 1 including tubular means in and carried by the hollow piston rod, said tubular means having one end terminating adjacent the opening in the piston, and having its other end coupled to the valve controlled means for introducing a gas.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said opening in the piston has a venturi-shaped configuration intermediate the valving position and the side of the piston remote from the extent of the piston rod.

4. The combination of claim 3, including a nozzle within and carried by the piston rod, said nozzle having its discharge end disposed adjacent to and directed into the venturi-shaped configuration of the opening to discharge therethrough and toward the side of the piston remote from the extent of the piston rod, and means within the hollow piston rod coupling the nozzle to the valve controlled means for introducing a gas.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said nozzle has an external configuration adjacent its discharge end that is generally complementary to the configuration of the portion of the opening adjacent thereto with the spacing of the latter and such external configuration of the nozzle being less than approximately the most restricted diameter of the venturi-shaped portion of the opening.

6. The combination of claim 1, including an openended hollow sleeve carried by the piston that concentrically extends into the hollow piston rod in radially and axially spaced relation thereto, said sleeve having at one end an annular juncture with the piston at a position surrounding the opening through the piston intermediate the valving position and the side of the piston opposite the piston rod so that the hollow of the sleeve communicates freely through the opening through the piston with the space on the side of the piston opposite the piston rod.

7. The combination of claim 6, including a tube in and carried concentrically by the piston rod, said tube having one end connected to the valve controlled gas introducing means and its other end extending into the sleeve in spaced relation thereto.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein said sleeve is of substantially enlarged internal diameter intermediate the opening through the piston and said other end of the tube.

9. The combination of claim 6, including a tube in and carried concentrically by the piston rod, said tube having one end connected to the valve controlled gas introducing means and its other end extending into the sleeve, and said sleeve having a lateral opening adjacent said other end of the tube.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said lateral opening is inclined to the axis of the sleeve.

11. For use in gas-liquid contact apparatus of the reciprocating piston type, a piston and piston rod construction comprising, a piston having spaces on opposite sides thereof and having an opening t-herethrough, said piston including an orifice member threaded into the opening through the piston, said orifice member having an orifice therethrough concentric with the opening through the piston, a hollow piston rod extending from one side of the piston and having a closed end remote from the piston and an open end adjacent the piston, said orifice communicating between the hollow interior of the hollow piston rod and the space on the side of the piston opposite the piston rod, means securing the piston rod to the piston for axial movement of the piston rod relative to the piston, said piston rod having a radially extending flange adjacent its open end, annular valve means comprising an annular portion of the piston rod adjacent the open end of the latter and an annular portion of the piston that are engageable on axial movement of the piston rod toward the piston at a position surrounding the orifice through the piston to close external communication with the hollow interior of the piston rod except through the orifice, spring means carried by the piston embracing the piston rod and engaging the flange for yieldingly biasing axial movement of the piston rod toward the piston to close said annular valve means, and valve controlled vent means connected to the piston rod adjacent the closed end thereof for venting the interior of the piston rod.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said orifice member includes a tubular extension that extends concentrally into the hollow piston rod in spaced relation thereto.

13. The combination of claim 11, wherein one of the portions of the piston and the piston rod constituting said annular valve means is V-shaped in cross section along its annular extent to give substantially an annular line of contact with the other portion on valving engagement of such portions.

14. In gas-liquid contacting apparatus of the reciprocating piston type, a closed cylinder, a piston slidingly and sealingly received in the cylinder and separating the interior of the cylinder into first and second chambers of variable volumes at opposite ends of the cylinder, a first valve controlled means for conducting a liquid into said first chamber from a liquid supply, said piston having a first passageway therethrough afiording fluid communication between said chambers, normally closed valve means in said first passageway and spaced from said second chamber for controlling communication therethrough between said chambers, pressure responsive actuating means for opening said normally closed valve means, a second valve controlled means for introducing a gas into said first passageway at a position intermediate said normally closed valve means and said second chamber, and a third valve controlled means for discharging said second chamber, said normally closed valve means including a piston rod carried by the piston that extends through said first chamber end of the cylinder, said second valve controlled means including a second passageway in the piston rod by-passing the normally closed valve means and intersecting said first passageway intermediate the normally closed valve means and the second chamber, whereby initial gas and liquid contact will occur in said first passageway.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein means is provided for urging movement of the piston from a position adjacent the first chamber end of cylinder toward the second chamber end of the cylinder with a force at least equal to the total of all frictional resistance opposing such movement.

16. The combination of claim 15, wherein said means for urging movement comprises the cylinder being vertical with the first chamber being uppermost with the weight of the piston and the piston rod being greater than all fricional force opposing such movement.

17. The combination of claim 14, wherein said third valve controlled means includes a first pressure sensitive valving element, spring means biasing said first pressure sensitive valving element to open position and toward the piston, said first pressure sensitive valving element operating when closed against the bias of the spring means to remain closed by the pressure in the second chamber until the pressure difierential across said first valving element falls below a predetermined value, said first valving element being disposed in the travel path of the piston whereby said piston on moving toward the second chamber end of the cylinder will engage and close said first valving element against the bias of the spring means, said second valve controlled means including a pressure sensitive valving means responsive to fluid pressure when closed to remain a first predetermined distance of the first chamber end of the cylinder to close the pressure sensitive valving means, and a normally closed valve means for venting the hollow piston rod, and means actuated by approach of the piston within a second predetermined distance of the first chamber end of the cylinder to open the last-mentioned valve means, with the first predetermined distance being at least as great as the second predeter mined distance.

18. The combination of claim 17, including a reservoir connected to said third valve controlled means for receiving discharge from said second chamber, and means responsive to the liquid level in the reservoir being below a fixed level for actuating said pressure sensitive valving means open when the piston is within a predetermined distance from the second chamber end of the cylinder.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 and space ambient thereto, a vessel containing such apparatus and such space, said third valve controlled means for discharging said second chamber being arranged to discharge into said space said means responsive to the liquid level in said space for controlling said second valving element, pressure regulating means for venting the vessel, and a valve controlled dispensing outlet for the vessel.

20. The combination of claim 17, wherein both recited means actuated by approach of the piston toward the first chamber end of the cylinder comprises an actuating lever pivotally mounted on the piston rod and stop means disposed in the travel path of the lever.

21. The combination of claim 20, wherein the stop means comprises a bracket and a stop, means for securing the stop to the bracket at a plurality of selected positions spaced along the travel path of the lever, whereby the travel of the piston toward the first chamber end of the cylinder can be adjustably predetermined.

22. The combination of claim 17, including a reservoir connected to said third valve controlled means for receiving discharge from said second chamber, and means actuated by approach of the piston to within a predetermined distance from the second chamber end of the cylinder to open said pressure sensitive valving means.

23. The combination of claim 22, including means responsive to the liquid level in the reservoir being above a fixed level to make the last recited means inoperative.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,685,952 8/1954 Hamlin et al 261-82 3,109,873 11/1963 Hotchkiss 261-35 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,478 1893 Great Britain. 25,501 1908 Great Britain.

0 HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT L. MARTIN, Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN A GAS-LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS OF THE RECIPROCATING PISTON TYPE, A PISTON AND PISTON ROD CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING, A PISTON HAVING SPACES ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF AND HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A PISTON ROD EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE OF AND AUXILIARY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID POSITION, SAID PISTON ROD HAVING AN END ADJACENT THE PISTON AND AN END REMOTE FROM THE PISTON, MEANS CONNECTING SAID ADJACENT END OF THE PISTON ROD TO THE PISTON INCLUDING MEANS OPERATIVE TO LIMIT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON ROD FROM THE PISTON, SAID PISTON ROD BEING HOLLOW WITH THE REMOTE END THEREOF BEING CLOSED AND THE ADJACENT END THEREOF BEING OPEN AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE OPENING THROUGH THE PISTON, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING SPRING MEANS BIASING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON ROD TOWARD THE PISTON AND ENGAGEADJACENT WITH THE PISTON AT A VALVING PISTON SURROUNDING MENT WITH THE PISTON AT A VALVING POSITION SURROUNDING THE OPENING THROUGH THE PISTON, WHEREBY ALL EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF THE PISTON ROD EXCEPT THROUGH THE OPENING THROUGH THE PISTON IS CLOSED WHEN THE PISTON ROD IS IN SAID VALVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PISTON, AND VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GAS INTO THE HOLLOW PISTON ROD FROM THE EXTERIOR THEREOF AT A POSITION ADJACENT THE REMOTE END OF THE PISTON ROD, WHEREBY A GAS CAN BE PASSED THROUGH THE HOLLOW PISTON ROD AND THE OPENING THROUGH THE PISTON TO THE SPACE ON THE SIDE OF THE PISTON OPPOSITE THE PISTON ROD, AND WHEREBY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SPACES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PISTON THROUGH THE OPENING THROUGH THE PISTON IS OBTAINED UPON AND SOLELY UPON THE PISTON ROD BEING UNSEATED FROM SAID VALVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PISTON.
 14. THE GAS-LIQUID CONTACTING APPARATUS OF THE RECIPROCATING PISTON TYPE, A CLOSED CYLINDER, A PISTON SLIDINGLY AND SEALINGLY RECEIVED IN THE CYLINDER AND SEPARATING THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDER INTO FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS OF VARIABLE VOLUMES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE CYLINDER, A FIRST VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS FOR CONDUCTING A LIQUID INTO SAID FIRST CHAMBER FROM A LIQUID SUPPLY, SAID PISTON HAVING FIRST PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH AFFORDING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS, NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS IN SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY AND SPACED FROM SAID SECOND CHAMBER FOR CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION THERETHROUGH BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS, PRESSURE RESPONSIVE ACTUATING MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS, A SECOND VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GAS INTO SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY AT A POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS AND SAID SECOND CHAMBER, AND A THIRD VALVE CONTROLLED CLOSED VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A PISTON BER, SAID NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A PISTON ROD CARRIED BY THE PISTON THAT EXTENDS THROUGH SAID FIRST CHAMBER END OF THE CYLINDER, SAID SECOND VALVE CONTROLLED MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND PASSAGEWAY IN THE PISTON ROD BY-PASSING THE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS AND INTERSECTING SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY INTERMEDIATE THE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEANS AND THE SECOND CHAMBER, WHEREBY INITIAL GAS AND LIQUID CONTACT WILL OCCUR IN SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY. 